January 21, 2009

Morris Takes Helm for Bucs

Raheem Morris, a former Cornell defensive backs coach and special teams assistant, was named head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Saturday. Morris, who spent the past two seasons as the Bucs’ defensive backs coach, has been with the team a total of six seasons in two stints. Under Morris, Buccaneer defenders have been named to the Pro Bowl 16 times and the defense has finished in the top-5 in the NFL in five of his six seasons.
During his first stint with Tampa Bay, Morris worked with former Bucs defensive backs coach and current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to develop one of the top secondaries in the NFL, in doing so helping the Buccaneers capture their first world championship in Super Bowl XXXVII. In between stints in Tampa Bay, he served as Kansas State’s defensive coordinator in 2006, and the team saw considerable improvements in several statistical categories, including total defense, scoring defense and pass defense. Prior to coming to Cornell for the 1999 season, Morris served as a graduate assistant coach at Hofstra for one year.

Related

Cornell was a stone’s throw away from hosting the New York Jets for their summer training camp, but officials announced yesterday that the National Football League team chose to spend the summer at SUNY Cortland instead, according to the Associated Press.
Apart from Cornell, Utica College and Marist College in Poughkeepsie were also on the shortlist of possible summer training camp for the football franchise. The team may also plan some public sessions at their Florham Park center in New Jersey and former preseason home on Long Island, the A.P. reported.
“Cortland acted quickly and had all the ingredients to make it really doable here,” Jets owner Woody Johnson told reporters at a news conference.

The Denver Broncos traded Jay Cutler and a third round draft choice to the Chicago Bears in exchange for two first round picks and quarterback Kyle Orton. The most striking aspect of this deal is that it never had to happen. Cutler’s actions were reprehensible to the umpteenth degree, but he still had three years left on a 6-year $48 million contract. Cutler forfeited $100,000 when he skipped an off-season workout, but he wouldn’t have walked out on millions no matter how much he despised coach Josh McDaniels. When Broncos owner Pat Bowlen announced that his team would put Cutler on the trade block, Cutler expressed disappointment.